Nozzle shutoff gate or valve for all fluid media and pressures



March 6, 1962 A. BECKER 3,023,775

NOZZLE SHUTOFF GATE OR VALVE FOR ALL FLUID MEDIA AND PRESSURES Filed Sept. 8, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR August Becker ATTORNEYS March 6, 1962 Filed Sept. 8, 1958 A. BECKER 3,023,775 NOZZLE SHUTOF'F GATE OR VALVE FOR ALL FLUID MEDIA AND PRESSURES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR August Becker ATTORNEYS March 6, 1962 A. BECKER 3,023,775

NOZZLE SHUTOFF GATE OR VALVE FOR ALL FLUID MEDIA AND PRESSURES Filed Sept. 8, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 7 INVENTOR August Becker ATTORNEY 5' March 6, 1962 A. BECKER 3,023,775

NOZZLE SHUTOFF GATE OR VALVE FOR ALL FLUID MEDIA AND PRESSURES Filed Sept. s, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 o 9 LL INVENTOR August Becker BY @u ATTORNEYS United States Patent August Becker,

many,

Filed Sent.

9 Claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 390,656 filed November 6, 1953, now abandoned, entitled, Regulation of Low Pressure Steam Boilers.

Shutofi valves of commonly known construction can only be opened and closed, or regulated, by a sense of touch. In order to determine an optimum volume of flow usually a second device is incorporated into the system, because in actual practice it is often necessary to obtain a finer subdivision of this maximum volume of flow.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction of such a nature that in addition to the fully opened and closed position, it can be adjusted exactly at intermediate positions for any desired volume of flow according to a visible scale. Furthermore, the stroke of the ball pin is adjustable by means of a pinion shaft and gear rack so that, by the adjustment of the stroke, the highest maximum volume of flow and the desired intermediate adjustments of the volume as required in actual practice can be obtained with a high degree of accuracy. The bore of the nozzles in the nozzle plate and in the housing are shaped to give the most favorable flow control. A strong, uniform pressure of the nozzle plate against the sealing surface is obtained by the use of a special type of tension spring.

In low pressure steam boilers control of steam pressure and combustion is accomplished by means of float or membrane regulators of known construction. These controls are influenced by the actual steam pressure and thus open or close the air regulating valve of the boiler. At the low operating pressures of low pressure central heating plants, which often is only 0.01 atmospheric pressure, the regulation is extremely slow and combustion takes place with too high an air supply, causing excessive slag formation and uneconomical fuel consumption. An object of the present invention is to replace the usual inexact and slow regulating action by a precise, fast working regulation in order to minimize scorification, improve combustion and CO content, lower the speed of combustion and thereby achieve substantial fuel economy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a nozzle gate or valve which is located in the steam exit conduit of the low pressure steam boiler. The boiler pressure is withheld by the nozzle and since the regulator is connected to the boiler, the influence of the increased pressure causes the regulator to operate quicker and more often, the regulating valve works constantly, closes very fast in accordance with the adjusted working pressure and does not permit a surplus of air with resulting scorification. The slow regulation and the slow actuation of the air valve is eliminated and only that amount of air enters the fire box via the air valve which is necessary from time to time for the desired rate of combustion. The proportioning of the nozzle cross-sections and the speed of the steam is regulated according to the heat capacity of the boiler.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction of a nozzle gate which is capable of being adjusted to allow the maximum volume of flow necessary for the rated resistance of the system in which the valve is installed and is also capable of making an intermediate precise adjustment for changing demands made on the system without disturbing the preliminary or rough adjustment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the nozzle plates are subjected to an equalizing pressure extending from the center to the perimeter thereof whereby buckling of such plates is avoided.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction embodying the above features which is capable of operating as a high pressure valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction embodying the above features which is capable of operating as a pressure reducing valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction with knife-edged nozzle openings to direct and control the turbulence of flowing media according to the most eificient thermodynamic principles.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction of a minimum height and to improve the visual control of the individual internal actions of a shutofl gate valve by dividing, collecting or mixing the quan- 'ty of the substance being controlled.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction allowing the internal control of the action of a media by means of a technique which guides the flow of the media and by so doing overcomes decomposition of the valve body by preventing excessive build-up of heat within the valve body.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction with knife-edged nozzle openings so that the heat generated by compression is readily transmitted through the metal and results in high efliciency heat exchange thereby preventing decomposition of the metal of the valve body.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description below, several modifications of the invention are shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view with parts in section of a low pressure valve.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view with parts in elevation taken upon section line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view showing particularly the scale used with the valve.

FIGURE 4 is a partial view with parts in cross-section illustrating particularly the means for adjusting the valve preliminarily for securing the preliminary adjustment thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the gear rack.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded view showing the various elements for adjusting the eccentricity of the gear rack in the crank shaft.

FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view of a modified construction particularly adapted for high pressure.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view with parts in elevation taken upon section line 88 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a front elevational view showing particularly the scale cooperating with the operating handles for the modification shown in FIGURE 7 and FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view taken upon section line 10-10 of FIGURE 8 showing particularly the manner is which the high pressure valve modification is secured to the flanges provided upon the pipe line.

In the various views similar reference characters are used for like parts.

Referring first to FIGURES l to 6 inclusive, which describe a shutoff gate or valve primarily designed for low pressure systems the housing is indicated at 1. The housing 1 is cup-shaped having side walls 30 and a bottom 31. Fixed to the side walls are the apertured flanges 32 whereby the housing may be clamped to similar flanges provided upon the pipe sections at each side of the place where the shutoff gate or valve is installed. The bottom 31 of thehousing is provided with cone shaped nozzles 33 which gradually decrease in size from the perimeter towards the center. The nozzles 33 terminate at the bottom in knife edges 34.

Mounted within the housing 1 is the rotatable nozzle plate 2 which is also provided upon its bottom 35 with nozzle openings 36 corresponding to the nozzles 33 but flaring in the opposite direction. The nozzle openings 36 terminate in knife edged projections 37. The nozzles 36 also decrease in size from the perimeter of the nozzle plate 2 to the center thereof corresponding to the nozzles 33. The meeting surfaces of the bottoms 3-5 and 31 are highly polished and the nozzle plate 2 is secured to the housing 1 by means of the center shaft 3. The center shaft 3 is provided with screw threads 38 threaded into a threaded hole provided at the center of the bottom 31 of the housing. The center shaft 3 is provided with a-pointed' head 39'and interposed between such head 39 and the top surface of the bottom of the nozzle plate 2 is a spiral spring 40 for urging under spring pressure the nozzle plate 2 against the bottom 31. The nozzle plate 2 which is also of cup shape having a side Wall 41 in which is provided a vertically extending groove 42 for a purpose explained below.

The housing 1 at the upper opening thereof is provided with a beveled edge 18 and cooperating with such edge is-atension spring 12 bearing upon the upper edge of the side wall 41. I

As seen particularly in FIGURE 1, one end 43 of the tension spring 12 is turned radially outwardly and is seated in a radially extending groove 44 provided in the housing 1. The other end 19 of the tension spring 12 is notched as shown at 45 and the notched end 45 is designed. to cooperate with a pin 13 extending vertically from the top surface of the wall 41.

The means whereby a preliminary adjustment of the nozzles in the nozzle plate 2 with respect to the nozzles provided in the bottom of the housing and also the fine or intermediate adjustment is obtained will now be described. Cooperating With the slot 42 is a ball pin 7. If desired, this pin, instead of a ball head as shown, may have a rectangular or square cross-sectional configuration. The pin 7 is sl-idingly mounted in a bored extension 46 provided upon a gear rack 8. The gear rack 8 is slidingly mounted in a bore 47 extending diametrically through the crank 6. Traversing the crank shaft 6 is a pinion shaft 9 provided with a gear 48 at the inward end thereof which meshes with the gear rack 8. An adjustment nut is fixed by a pin to the other end of the pinion shaft and cooperating therewith is a lock nut 11. By rotating the adjustment nut 10 the gear 48 will move the gear rack with the pin 7 from the exterior of the crank shaft '6 towards the center or vice versa and by this means the eccentricity of the pin 7 with relation to the crank shaft 6 is varied so that a preliminary adjustment of the nozzle plate 2 may be obtained with respect to the nozzles in the housing 1. When this preliminary adjustment has been made dependent upon the maximum volume of fiow necessary for the rated resistance of the system in which the valve is to be installed, a fine adjustment may be made by means of the crank shaft 6 rotated by means of the handle 5. The handle 5 takes care of all fine adjustments within the range of the eccentric throw provided by the preliminary adjustment of the pin 7. The handle 5 is secured in the sleeve 49' which is fixed to the crank shaft 6 as shown more particularly in FIGURE 1. The handle 5 does not penetrate the pinion shaft 9.

Fixed upon the housing 1 is a scale 4 as shown more particularly in FIGURE 3. The scale 4 is provided with the divisions I to X at the right thereof. After the preliminary or pre-adjustment of the nozzles has been made to establish the maximum thI'IkfiOW required for a given system, this preadjustment is indicated on the scale 4 by the position (I thru: X) atwhich the handle 5 steps when moved to the OE position. If a particular system requires the total available maximum thru-flow, no pre-adjustment will be made. In such a case, the handle 5 will move over the Whole scale from 011 to On and vice versa, thus rotating the nozzle plate 2 through its maximum range of 17. If a particular system requires the minimum thru-flow available, preadjustment Will be made so that nozzle openings Will be completely closed when the handle 5 is at position X. The handle 5 will then move only from position X to On, and vice versa, thus rotating the nozzle plate 2 thru a range of only 3. Within either of the foregoing described conditions,- it is possible to make eighteen fine regulations of thru flow between the fully closed and fully open position.

At the left hand side of the scale 4, eighteen divisions are provided for obtaining the fine adjustments by the movement of the handle 5 from the completely closed position (1 thru X) as determined by the pre-adjustment, to the completely open position. This fine adjustment of 18 subdivisions is based on the particular eccentricity of the pin 7 with relation to the crankshaft 6;

The sleeve 49 is provided with spring pressed pawls 50 for cooperation with notches provided in the scale plate 4 and the handle 5 is also provided with a bore 51 in which a spring pressed pawl 52 is provided for cooperation with the notches or apertures 53 also upon the scale 4. The scale 4 is provided with an abutment 54 coacting with the handle 5 for indicating when the valve is completely shut ofi and an abutment 55 showing when the valve is open.

The construction shown in FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 which is designed for installations wherein high pressure is encountered will now be described. In this construction there is provided two housing elements 23 and 24. Located between the housing elements is a sealing plate 15 with packing material 56 interposed between the housing and the sealing plate. Positioned within the housing 23 is a nozzle plate 21 and within the housing 24 a nozzle plate 22.

The tension springs 20 and' 27 which cooperate with the beveled edges 57 and 58 respectively upon the housings 24 and 23 are similar to the tension spring 12 previously described and cooperate with pins provided upon the.

outer top surfaces of the side walls of the housings 23 and 24. The construction of the nozzles with knife edges is also similar to that of the nozzle plates shown in FIG- URE 1.

Extending through the center of the sealing disc 15 and the nozzle plates 21 and 22 is a center bolt 59 and cooperating therewith are the center pins 60 and 61 which compress the springs 62 and 63 so as to subject the center of the nozzle plates to spring tension. The perimeters of the nozzle plates are also under spring tension in the same manner as previously described with reference to tension spring 12.

Inv this construction two handles are provided, 25 and 26 as shown more particularly in FIGURE 9, and the construction with respect to each of these handles and the cooperation of the ball pin 7 with the nozzle plates 21 and 22 is the same as previously described for the modification shown in FIGURES 1 to 6 inclusive.

In FIGURE 10, which is taken upon section line 10--10 of FIGURE 8, themanner in which the housings 23 and 24 are connected to the pipe flanges is shown. In this figure the pipe flanges are shown at 14 and extending therethrough are clamping screws 17 which are threaded into the anchor bolts 16. The anchor bolts are provided with right and left hand threads so that upon rotation thereof the housings will be moved simultaneously either towards or away from one another. The sealing plate 15 which is firmly fixed between the two housings is provided with openings 63 corresponding with the nozzles provided in the plates 21 and 22. In this construction also the nozzles decrease in size from the perimeter towards the center and in' order to secure the optimum heat ex change the outer edges of the nozzles are knife edged and form polygonal configurations as shown particularly in FIGURES 1 and 7.

The operation of the above described constructions is as follows:

The preliminary adjustment of the nozzle openings means that the nozzle openings are adjusted to allow the maximum volume of fiow necessary for the rated resistance of the system in which the valve is installed. This adjustment is made by rotating the nozzle plate 2 around the center bolt 3. This rotation is accomplished by turning the adjusting nut 10. The movement of the adjusting nut is transmitted through the pinion shaft 9 and gear rack 8 to the ball pin 7 which is carried by the gear rack and is connected to and controls the rotation of the nozzle plate 2. This preliminary adjustment establishes the the maximum opening necessary for the optimum flow of the heat carrying medium through the system and must remain constant, therefore the adjustment is secured against accidental change by the locking nut 11.

After the preliminary adjustment is made and secured, the intermediate, precise adjustment can be made as required to compensate for the changing demands made on the system, without disturbing the preliminary adjustment. The intermediate adjustments are easily and accurately controlled on the visible scale 4 and are made by moving the adjusting lever 5 to the desired position on the scale. This movement of the adjusting lever is transmitted through the crankshaft 6 in which the ball pin 7 is eccentrically anchored and which, being connected to the nozzle plate 2, causes the nozzle plate to rotate around the enter bolt 3.

This method of adjusting the nozzle openings to control the through-flow of the heat-carrying medium has the advantage of permanently establishing, by means of the preliminary adjustment, the absolute maximum volume of flow necessary for the most elficient functioning of the system and yet of allowing for still finer, more accurate and precise adjustment of the volume of fiow as required by changes in the demands made upon the system.

This method of adjustment accounts for the remarkable fuel savings of the valve.

It must be noted that the valve rotates only 17 from the fully open to the completely closed position. By means of the preliminary adjustment this rotation may be reduced to only 3 to provide the maximum necessary volume of flow; but within this 3 range it is possible to make still finer adjustments to compensate for changing demands made on the system. The valve can be regulated with cloclnvork precision.

In former valves the two plates are joined by a springloaded center bolt which forces the plates together. This construction puts all of the pressure on the center of the two plates. Therefore the pressure is not distributed evenly over the entire surface of the valve and the plates have a tendency to buckle around the perimeter. In the present invention, however, the two plates are joined by a center bolt but also are forced together by means of the tension spring 12 which exerts a constant pressure around the circumference of the rotatable nozzle plate forcing it against the stationary nozzle plate or the sealing surface 15 of the housing. This even pressure is insured because the spring, securely anchored in the housing, is forced against the nozzle plate by the beveled housing wall 18. When the valve is completely closed the pressure of the spring is intensified by the pressure of the notched end 19 of the tension springpressing against the stop pin 13, thereby insuring an absolute seal between the nozzle plate and the sealing surface of the housing or the sealing plate 15. This construction has no tendency to cause the nozzle plates to buckle in the center because of the counter-tension exerted by the center bolt.

The indicating scale of the valve shows not only the actual setting of the valve at all times but also the setting necessary for maximum flow.

A feature of the valve which distinguishes it from any valve in common use is the shape of the nozzle openings. The construction of these nozzle openings and the effect they have on the functioning of the valve give certain advantages in its operation and the reason for its superior efficiency.

Experience has led to the development of these nozzle openings to their present form in which the extensions are knife-edged and, seen in top view, are polygonal in shape.

One of thedisadvantages of valves of known construction is that the extra heat generated by compression of the flowing medium as it passes through the valve is blocked by the solid mass of the valve body. Therefore any heat which passes through the blocking gate must go through the nozzle openings with the flowing medium, because the heat is not readily transmitted through the massive valve body.

The forms of the nozzle openings in the present valve is such that the heat generated by compression of the medium is readily transmitted through the metal. The shape of the nozzle openings is such that the surface available for the transfer of heat is 272% of the total opening available for the flow of the medium.

The increased surface thus made available for the transfer of heat brings about the following.

In the improved valve the heat is transmitted so rapidly that a high temperature is not built up in the valve body and consequently, even after long periods of operation, there is no decomposition of the metal of the valve body as is commonly caused by excessive temperatures which are built up in valves of known construction.

The valve is an obstacle in the pipe line .and the nozzle openings restrict the flow of the medium. This restriction causes the medium to be compressed, thereby increasing the temperature of the medium as Well as speeding up the rate of flow. Part of the heat thus generated is absorbed by the valve.

As the flowing medium leaves the constricting nozzle openings it expands and therefore there is a temperature drop and also a loss of pressure (decrease in speed of flow). Because of this loss of heat through expansion of the medium, the heat absorbed by the valve is transferred to the flowing medium after it has passed through the nozzle openings, thereby keeping the temperature of the medium constant and increasing the pressure, i.e. increasing the rate of flow of the medium. This rapid heat transference is not possible in valves of known construction because of the large mass of the valve body and because the shape of ordinary nozzle openings does not control the flow turbulence of the medium as does the knife-edged shape of the nozzle openings of the present valve.

The valve is an obstacle in the pipe line and the nozzle openings restrict the flow of the medium to approximately 27% of the total volume of the pipe. That is, the total volume of the flowing medium is compressed by 73 to flow thru 27% of the total volume of the pipe. Because of this compression of the medium, the rate of flow is increased to approximately 3.7 times the normal rate of flow in an unobstructed pipe of the same size. It also follows that because of this compression there is also a corresponding increase in the temperature of the flowing medium.

A most significant development of the valve, other than the shape of the nozzle openings, is shown in FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10. It is this development which changes the valve from a control for the regulation of low pressure steam boilers to a nozzle shut-off gate for all media and pressures, referred to as the high pressure valve.

The most important features of the high pressure valve are set forth below:

The low pressure valve described above consists basically of a rotatable nozzle plate 2 inserted into a housing 1. Integral with the housing is a second nozzle plate with nozzle openings arranged to correspond with the nozzle openings of the rotatable nozzle plate 2. The smooth faces of these two plates are held in place by the center bolt 3 and in close contact by the tension spring 12.

The high pressure valve shown in FIGURES 7, 8, 9 and 10 is formed by placing two of these nozzle plates into housings 23 and 24 with a sealing plate positioned between them and against which the smooth surfaces of the two nozzle plates are pressed into contact by the tension springs and the anchor bolts 16. The sealing plate 15 is smooth on both sides and has openings bored to correspond to the nozzle openings in the nozzle plates 21 and'22.

The two housings 23 and 24 each contain a nozzle plate and the nozzle plates are in contact with and separated by the sealing plate 15. This entire assembly is held together by the anchor bolts 16. These anchor bolts are threaded on the outside with the same thread as the holes in the housing, i.e. with right-hand threads on one end and left-hand threads on the other end. The anchor bolts are threaded on the inside with the same thread as the flange screws 17. With these anchor bolts the two housings, one with right hand threads and one vwith left hand threads and the nozzle plates are drawn together, firmly clamping the sealing plate 15 in position between them.

The flange screws 17 screw into the anchor bolts and secure the whole assembly to the pipe flanges. By this method the sealing plate is firmly clamped between the two nozzle plates in the housings and is held there by the pressure of the anchor bolts 16 even if the connecting flanges 14 are loosened by loosening the flange bolts 17. Because of this construction, in assembling and dis assembling while the valve is in operation, each flange can be loosened separately without disturbing the functioning of the valve.

A further advantage of this method of connecting the two housings by the anchor bolts previously described, is that all tensions caused by expansion and contraction or other stress producing factors are absorbed by the anchor bolts. Therefore the operating elements of the valve .are always kept free from binding loads.

A still further advantage of this construction is that there are two operating handles 25 and 26 provided The handle 25 in FIGURE 9 controls the rotatable nozzle plate which is away from the direction of flow of the medium. This handle is used to make the intermediate fine adjustments of the nozzle openings necessary while the system is in operation to compensate for changing demands made on the system by changes in outside temperature requiring more or less heat be furnished by the system. The corresponding adjusting nut 10 is used to establish the degree of rotation of the nozzle plate necessary to insure the maximum volume of flow in accordance with the requirements of the system in which the valve is installed.

The second handle 26 in FIGURE 9 controls the rotatable nozzle plate which is on that side of the valve in the direction of flow of the medium. With this operating handle the valve can be fully opened or completely closed without disturbing the adjustment which has been made with the opposite handle. This arrangement has the added advantage of allowing an operator, as an emergency measure, to make available the full pressure of the system or to cut oil? the flow completely by a simple flick of the lever. This construction is a definite improvement over frangible dctents, especially when the valve is used as a reduction valve, because after such emergency action is taken there is no need to disassemble the valve to replace elements.

The single low-pressure valve shown in FIGURES 1 to 6 could be strengthened and machined to a polish and precision which would make it suitable for high pressures and all media. This however, would require an expensive material and increase production costs. But using the combination of two housings and nozzle plates with the sealing plate clamped between them, the housings and nozzle plates can be manufactured from relatively inexpensive material, allowing a construction cost margin so the sealing plate can be manufactured to be stainless, corrosion resistant, polished and machined to a high degree of precision to give free and faultless operation of the valve.

Another and obvious advantage of this construction is that with the precisely machined sealing surfaces such a tight seal is insured that it is impossible for the smallest particle of the flowing medium to come between the nozzle plates and the sealing surface even when the valve is completely closed and some of the flowing medium is trapped within the valve. Because of this perfect seal the sealing surfaces remain free of corrosion and deposits no matter how long the system remains closed down, as well as indefinitely while the system is in operation.

In the heating system of a large building requiring several pipe lines to conduct the heat carrying medium to diiferent floors or wings, it is advantageous to use a plurality of control valves. In such a system each pipe line has a different resistance rating and the whole system must be regulated to the line with the highest resistance in order to have an equal distribution of heat throughout the entire building.

A pipe line with high resistance will require a greater volume of flow to maintain the required temperature than will one with less resistance. With valves of known construction it is not possible to adjust the volume of flow for each pipe line so the temperature in all parts of the building will remain constant and yet each pipe line will have exactly that volume of the heat-carrying medium which is absolutely necessary to maintain the required temperature evenly throughout the whole building.

With the present valve the maximum volume of flow necessary to maintain the desired temperature can be preset according to the rated resistance of that pipe line, and the volume and temperature is then equalized for the entire system. This preliminary adjustment is made with the adjusting nut 10 and is secured against accidental changes by the locking nut 11. By means of the adjusting handle 5 still finer adjustments can be made to compensate for changes in demands on the system during hours of operation, e.g. changes such as are made necessary by fluctuating external temperature.

To effect this degree of control with valves of known construction it would be necessary to use two valves in each pipe line. One valve would be necessary to regulate the volume of flow needed for the maximum heat requirement. A second valve would then be necessary to make the intermediate adjustments required to compensate for external temperature changes and for lowering operating temperature during periods when demand is less, such as overnight in those buildings used only during normal working hours. Both of these controls are combined in the improved valve.

In summary, the valve above described for the control of all fluid media and pressures has three major operationally advantageous features:

(1) The preliminary adjustment to control the maximum volume of flow required to provide all necessary heat.

(2) The intermediate adjustments necessary to compensate for external temperature changes and other changes in the demand made on the system.

(3) The absolutely leak-proof construction of the sealing elements, that is the seal formed between the sealing surfaces of the sealing plate 15 and the sealing surfaces of the two nozzle plates.

The valve can be electrically controlled by thermostats installed either inside or outside of the building in which the valve is used. This means that after the preliminary adjustment of the valve has been made to allow the maximum flow necessary for the most eflicient functions of the system in which it is installed, the intermediate adjustments required to compensate, for changing demands made on the system will be made automatically. In this way the valve becomes fully automatic, the operational changes being made electrically by thermostatic control.

It is self evident that because of its construction the valve can be used as a reducing valve in addition to its other controlling uses. 7

All of the above features and advantages are combined in an apparatus which is only 57 mm. (2.24) high for the (single) low pressure valve and only slightly more than twice this height (approximately for the (double) high pressure valve. The height of the valve remains constant regardless of the diameter. This construction saves in material and also saves in space needed for installation. Both of these features are obviou improvements.

The construction of the valve is such that it could be made of glass or plastic and the valve would be as efficient as if made entirely of metal.

The valves described above have extreme control accuracy and consequently bring about savings in fuel. Also these valves have great advantage with reference to the construction length, height and width as well as the simple operation thereof and 'the clear readability of all adjustments made.

When two constants have been established for Water or steam heating, a third constant will result therefrom.

Constant l.-Adjust the combustion control to the highest permissible temperature or to the highest permissible pressure,

Constant II.--Regulate the preliminary nozzle control, for maximum flow required by operating conditions.

Constant II1.-Through these two constants, the amount of heat necessary to maintain a state of equilibrium with the outside temperature can be obtained immediately by means of the fine adjustment of the valve, readable on the visible scale.

In connection with steam heating systems this means:

(I) The boiler pressure remains constant and will fluctuate no more than 0.01 atmospheric pressure.

(II) The nozzle control and shutoff gate remains on the Q-constant in relation to the outside temperature.

(III) Thru these two previously established constants the amount of the steam required can be adjusted and the adjustment can be read at the nozzle gate, through the entire range from minimum to the maximum load.

With water heating systems this means:

(I) The discharge temperature at the boiler or distributor remains approximately constant and should not fluctuate more than C.

(ll) The nozzle control and shutoff gate remains at the Q-constant in relation to the outside temperature. By means of a short circuit connection (one pipe size smaller) welded between the forward and return pipe lines, in the direction of flow immediately above the nozzle gate, the amount of constantly circulating water in the system is assured and is maintained at its own maximum attainable speed or at a speed provided by a pump.

(III) Thru the two previously established constants the amount of water heat is adjustable and readable at the nozzle gate through the entire-range from the minimum to the maximum load.

The gates described are characterized by visible regulation of the maximum through flow, and a high degree of accuracy never obtainable by manual adjustments of the free cross section of the gate. In this Way an accurate adjustment of the required volume of heat is possible, and this adjustment can be made as required by the outside temperature. By the use of this gate with solid fuel, a substantial amount of slag reduction is possible because the combustion process can be precisely controlled. The control range of the gate lies between 40 and 110 C.

When the warm water heating system has built in regulation gates of this type, the output temperature at the boiler or distributor, remains constant and should fluctuate at the most only by or l0 C. The nozzle control and shut-0E gate is based on the Q (mercury column) constant according to the outside temperature. Thru a short circuit connecting line welded in the direction of flow, immediately above the nozzle-gate between the forward and return flow line, the circulating water volume constant of the system is assured. Thru the two constant factors thus provided, the water heating volume can be adjusted and can be read on the visible scale through the entire range from minimum to maximum load.

The various advantages of the nozzle control and shutoff gates or valves described above are as follows:

(1) Shutofl gate valve and temperature control valve for steam and hot Water heating installation combined in one unit.

(2) Preliminary adjustment established for the required maximum through flow visible on the exterior seal.

(3) Accuracy of adjustment not possible with valves of known construction now obtained by means of the manual adjustment of the free cross section of the gate, thereby providing precision control of heat as required by outside atmospheric temperatures.

(4) Visible indication of the heat distribution at the central control station. Considerably increased operating efficiency of existing heating installations.

(5) Enormous fuel saving. With solid fuels considerable reduction of slag through precise control of the combustion process.

(6) Extensive rust resistance (bronze and stainless steel).

(7) Extremely favorable construction dimensions of width, height and length. Large control range 40 C. to C., simple operation, no maintenance costs due to slight sources of error.

(8) Great time saving during adjusting of an installation.

(9) Easy adjustment of steam and hot water heating installations with various pressures, in relation to temperatures. Pressure and temperature regulation with ONE handle.

(10) The cost of the gate pays for itself in a single heating period thru fuel saving.

Other advantages are:

(a) During operation the boiler attendant can see whether the boiler receives infiltration air, or must be cleaned.

(b) Whether the gate is open or closed.

(0) The boiler can never be overloaded and therefore maintains the full output until necessary to clean after 24 to 48 hours of operation.

(d) The material of the boiler is never subjected to the great temperature and pressure fluctuations (e.g. because of operational shut-downs overnight or on Weekends.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

I claim:

1. A regulator for controlling the flow of a fluid media comprising a plate having a plurality of nozzle openings extending towards the center, a second plate having a plurality of nozzle openings cooperating with said nozzle openings of said first plate, means for moving said second plate with respect to said first plate to vary the cross sections of said nozzle openings to secure an exact control of the media passing therethrough and said nozzle openings terminating in knife edges at their exterior sides to provide optimum heat transfer, said knife edges being formed by the meeting of the walls of two adjacent nozzle openings.

2. A regulator for controlling the flow of a fiuid media comprising a plate having a plurality of mathematically graduated in size nozzle openings extending towards the center, a second plate having a plurality of similarly grad,- uated nozzle openings cooperating with said nozzle openings of said first plate, means for moving said second plate with respect to said first plate to vary the cross sections of said nozzle openings to secure an exact control of the media passing therethrough and said nozzle openings terminating in knife edges at their exterior sides to provide optimum heat transfer, said knife edges being formed by the meeting of the walls of two adjacent nozzle openings.

3. A regulator for controlling the flow of a media comprising a plate having a plurality of nozzle openings, a second plate having a plurality of nozzle openings cooperating with said nozzle openings of said first plate, a handle adjustable for various opening positions, eccentric means'conneoted to said handle coacting with said second plate for moving said second plate with respect to said first plate to vary the cross sections of said nozzle openings to control the flow of a media passing therethrough and means for varying the eccentricity of said eccentric means to provide a rough adjustment of said plates with respect to one another.

4. In a valve the combination comprising a cup-shaped housing having side walls, fixed apertured flanges on said walls whereby said housing may be clamped to similar flanges provided upon pipe sections between which the valve is positioned, the bottom of said housing having one smooth face to serve as a seating surface, said bottom having a plurality of concentrically arranged nozzle openings mathematically graduated to decrease in size from the perimeter toward the center, said nozzle openings having polygonally shaped extensions, said extensions being tapered and terminating in knife-like edges at their exterior end, said knife edges being formed by the meeting of the walls of two adjacent nozzle openings thereby providing optimum flow control and heat exchange.

5. In a valve the combination comprising a housing, the bottom of said housing having one smooth face to serve as a seating surface, said bottom having a plurality of concentrically arranged nozzle openings mathematically graduated to decrease in size from the perimeter toward the center, said nozzle openings having polygonally shaped extensions, said extensions being tapered and terminating in knife-like edges at their exterior end, said knife edges being formed by the meeting of the walls of two adjacent nozzle openings thereby providing optimum flow control and heat exchange, a rotatable nozzle plate mounted within said housing, said rotatable nozzle plate having a smooth face seated on said smooth face of said housing, said rotatable nozzle plate also being provided with nozzle openings having polygonally shaped extensions, said extensions being tapered and terminating in knife-like edges at their exterior end, the openings in said rotatable nozzle plate cooperatingwith the nozzle openings of said housing bottom, a spring loaded shaft securing said rotatable nozzle plate mounted at the center of the bottom of said housing, and means for rotating said rotatable nozzle plate through two angular ranges from the completely closed to the fully opened position whereby a coarse and a fine adjustment of said valve may be obtained.

6. In a valve as set forth in claim wherein said means for rotating said rotatable nozzle plate through two angular ranges comprises a crank shaft having a diametrical bore at the inward end thereof, a pinion shaft traversing said crank shaft, a gear fixed to said pinion shaft, adjusting means fixed to the outward end of said pinion shaft,

12 a gear rack meshing with said gear slidingly mounted in said bore, a pin mounted in said rack and means upon said rotatable nozzle plate cooperating with said pin for securing by said adjusting means the preliminary coarse adjustment of said valve and then by rotating said crank shaft securing the fine adjustment of said valve.

7. In a valve the combination comprising a cup-shaped housing having side walls, fixed apertured flanges on said walls whereby said housing may be clamped to similar flanges provided upon pipe sections between which the valve is positioned, the bottom of said housing having one smooth face to serve as a seating surface, said bottom having a plurality of concentrically arranged nozzle openings mathematically graduated to decrease in size from the perimeter toward the center, said nozzle openings having polygonally shaped extensions, said extensions being tapered and terminating in knife-like edges at their exterior end, said knife edges being formed by the meeting of the walls of two adjacent nozzle openings, a rotatable nozzle plate mounted within said housing, said rotatable nozzle plate having a smooth face seated on said smooth face of said housing, said rotatable nozzle plate also being provided with nozzle openings having polygonally shaped extensions, said extensions being tapered and terminating in knife-like edges at their exterior end, the openings in said rotatable nozzle plate cooperating with the nozzle openings of said housing bottom, a spring loaded shaft securing said rotatable nozzle plate mounted at the center of the bottom of said housing, the upper edge, of said housing being beveled, a tension spring opposing the internal pressure of the flowing media from the opposite side of the valve coacting with said beveled edge of the housing and said rotatable nozzle plate, said valve housing having a radially extending groove in which one end of said tension spring is seated, a stop pin extending vertically from the top surface of the side wall of said rotatable nozzle plate with which the other end of said tension spring cooperates, said spring being compressed between the radially extending groove in said valve housing and said stop pin, thereby exerting peripheral pressure on said nozzle plate forcing faultless conjunction of the smooth surface of said nozzle plate with the smooth face of the bottom of the valve housing.

8. In a valve as set forth in claim 7 wherein means are provided for rotating said rotatable nozzle plate through two angular ranges from the completely closed to the fully opened position whereby a coarse and a fine adjustment of said valve may be obtained.

9. In a valve as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for rotating said rotatable nozzle plate through two angular ranges comprises a crank shaft having a diametrical bore at the inward end thereof, a pinion'shaft traversing said crank shaft, a gear fixed to said pinion shaft, adjusting means fixed to the outward end of said pinion shaft, a gear rack meshing with said gear slidingly mounted in said bore, a pin mounted in said rack and means upon said rotatable nozzle plate cooperating with said pin for securing by said adjusting means the preliminary coarse adjustment of said valve and then by rotating said crank shaft securing the fine adjustment of said valve.

References Cited in'the file of this patent -UNITED STATES PATENTS 

